History
The evolution of an audio revolution.

With a history of audio innovation spanning over 80 years, Shure has turned a passion for making great microphones and audio electronics into an obsession. No wonder Shure continues to set the worldwide industry standard for superior microphones and audio electronics. Here are a few highlights:

1925
Shure Radio Company is founded on April 25 by S. N. Shure as a one-man company selling radio parts kits before factory-built radio sets were marketed. Office is located at 19 South Wells Street in downtown Chicago.

1926
A direct mail catalog is published, one of only six radio parts catalogs in the United States.

1929
The Great Depression grips the United States. Market for radio parts kits declines when factory-built radio sets become available. Staff is reduced to a few people. Shure becomes exclusive distributor for a small microphone manufacturer.

1930
Samuel J. Shure leaves to pursue a career in heating and ventilation engineering, his college major, joining a prominent company in St. Louis, Missouri.

1931
Shure begins development of its own microphone under the direction of a young engineer named Ralph Glover.

1932
Shure becomes one of only four U. S. microphone manufacturers with the introduction of the Model 33N Two-Button Carbon Microphone. It is the first lightweight, high-performance product in a market dominated by large, costly devices.

1933
Model 40D is the company’s first condenser microphone.

1935
Model 70 is Shure’s first crystal microphone.

1936
First patent is received for a stylish and practical suspension support system for microphones.

1939
Model 55 Unidyne Microphone is the first single-element unidirectional microphone. Its performance qualities and distinctive styling ultimately make it “the most recognized microphone in the world.” Notably, the single-element design makes microphones smaller, less expensive, and, therefore, more accessible to all.

1941
Shure secures contracts to supply microphones for United States armed forces in World War II.

1942
T-17B Microphone becomes the most widely used microphone by the U.S. Army and Navy. Shure develops plastic cases for these mics, preventing them from getting too hot to handle in tanks and, also, conserving scarce metal for the war effort.

1942-1944
T-30 Throat Microphone, HS-33 and HS-38 Headset Microphone, M-CI Microphone for oxygen masks, and Battle Announce Microphone are all made for the military. Using T-30s, bomber crews could communicate over the noise inside the planes. Shure adopts strict military standards (MILSPEC) as the standard of reliability for a ll Shure microphones.

1946
Shure is the largest producer of phonograph cartridges in the U.S., supplying cartridges to major phonograph manufacturers, including Philco, RCA, Emerson, Magnavox, Admiral, and Motorola.

Shure Brothers Company becomes Shure Brothers Incorporated.

1948
First phonograph cartridge capable of playing both long-playing (LP) and 78 rpm (revolutions per minute) records.

1951
Unidyne 55S is a smaller version of the renowned Unidyne 55. (55SH, above)

1952
First Shure ribbon microphone, Model 300.

1953
First wireless microphone system for performers, called the Vagabond. Powered by two hearing aid batteries, the system could transmit within a “performance circle” of approximately 700 square feet.

1954
M12 Dynetic Phono Reproducer is a tone arm/phono cartridge combination that set a new industry standard with its tracking force of only one gram.

1955
First mobile communications microphone designed to also function as a loudspeaker.

1956
Shure moves from downtown Chicago to a new corporate headquarters in Evanston, Illinois.

1959
Unidyne III Microphone is the first high-quality unidirectional microphone that is used by speaking into the end (“end-firing”) rather than the side of the microphone. It was the predecessor to the SM57.

1964
Shure V-15 Stereo Dynetic Cartridge is one of the finest phonograph cartridges ever made. It featured a 15-degree vertical tracking angle and a symmetrical, bi-radial elliptical stylus.

1965
SM57 Dynamic Microphone is rugged and reliable with a clean, natural sound. It continues to be the President’s lectern microphone today, as it has been for every U.S. President since Lyndon B. Johnson.

Shure SM58 (“SM” for “Studio Microphone”) is adopted by rock-and-roll musicians, who find it offers the right combination of rugged reliability and excellent sound quality; it quickly becomes the standard for live performance vocals. The SM58 remains the most popular vocal microphone in the world. (SM58, below)

1967
Vocal Master, the first “portable total sound system,” includes a mixer, power amplifier, and loudspeakers.

1968
M67 Portable Mixer, designed for remote broadcast applications, enables journalists to cover stories live in the field.

Shure is awarded the 2003 Technical GRAMMY by the National Academy of the Recording Arts and Sciences®, which is presented by the Recording Academy to individuals and/or companies that have made outstanding contributions of technical significance to the recording industry.

After 47 years in Evanston, Illinois, Shure moves into new corporate headquarters in Niles, Illinois.

2004
Following the successful introduction of its E Series Earphones to the mainstream consumer, Shure establishes the Personal Audio Business Unit to once again focus on the consumer electronics market.

2005
Shure opens two new facilities in China: a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Suzhou, and a sales and marketing office in Shanghai.

2006
Shure opened a sales and marketing office in Tokyo, Japan.

The Shure E4c Earphones and UHF-R® Wireless Microphone System were honored with TEC Awards for Outstanding Technical Achievement from The Mix Foundation for Excellence in Audio.

Shure was named one of “Chicago’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™.”

2007
Due to the efforts of long-time Shure Distributor Giveon Electronics, Ltd., the SM58® Microphone was featured on a postage stamp in Israel to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the legendary product.

Shure’s Microflex® MX410 Gooseneck Microphones were installed in the refurbished James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the White House.

Shure’s SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones were named “Best of 2007/Deluxe Earphone of the Year” by the editors of iLounge. It also won the “Editor’s Choice Award” by Windows Vista magazine and was named one of the “100 Best Products of 2007” by PC World magazine.

2008
Shure launched a new line of Microflex® Microphones for use in corporate boardroom applications.

For the second straight year, the SM58® Microphone won the MI Pro Retail Survey “Best Live Microphone” award.

The new UR1M Micro-Bodypack began shipping.

Shure’s SM58®, SM57, Beta 57, Beta 87, and KSM9 Microphones were featured in the new Rock Band2 Video Game.

The Unidyne Model 55 Microphone was inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame.

Shure celebrated the opening of the S.N. Shure Theater and Interactive Display at the Corporate Headquarters.

2009
Shure launched the new and affordable SE115 Sound Isolating™ Earphones, in four colors.

Shure debuted the PG27USB and PG42USB Side-Address Condenser Microphones and the X2u XLR-to-USB Signal Adapter. In addition, Shure introduced XLR models of the new microphones, the PG27 and PG42.

To provide more options for recording applications, Shure expanded the SM Microphone Line with the new SM27 and SM137.

Shure introduced three new professional headphone models: the SRH840, SRH440, and SRH240.

The new X2u XLR-to-USB Signal Adapter began shipping.

Shure introduced the new KSM353 and KSM313 Ribbon Microphones.

2010
Shure previewed two new Sound Isolating™ Earphones at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES): the new dual driver SE425 and triple driver SE535.

Shure’s new PSM® 900 Wireless Personal Monitor System was introduced at the Winter NAMM trade show in Anaheim, California.

Shure announced the introduction of the latest addition to our line of Beta microphones, the side-address supercardioid Beta 27.

Shure celebrated the 85th anniversary of the Company’s founding.

Shure formed a new subsidiary in the Netherlands

Shure added to its line of KSM Microphones— the new KSM42 and KSM44A, delivering world-class sound reproduction from exquisite electro-acoustical design and technology.

Shure released the SRH240m+ Headset with Remote + Microphone, which was the first headphone headset in the Company’s line of professional quality audio accessories for smartphones and portable music players.

2011
On February 1, Shure completed the acquisition of Informationsteknik, one of the world’s leading suppliers of conferencing and audio/visual systems and equipment.

Shure previewed the Axient® (below) wireless management network at the Winter NAMM trade show in Anaheim, California, which detects interference and can automatically change frequencies.

For the second straight year, Shure was the only company at NAMM to introduce new products in each of the following categories: wired microphones, wireless microphone systems, and monitoring. Shure received seven prestigious awards at NAMM: the Beta 181 and PGX-Digital received TEC Awards; the KSM42 and PSM 1000 received Readers Choice Awards from Pro Sound Web; and the PSM 1000 was named Product of the Year at the Music & Sound Awards.

Shure co-hosted our third GRAMMY Soundtable “Behind the Glass” event with the Chicago Chapter of The Recording Academy. Legendary recording engineer and producer Al Schmitt was the guest.

In April, Shure celebrated 87 years in business with the premiere of “Shure: People, Products, and Passion,” a new film that highlights our Associates, our unique culture, and our legendary products.

For the first time, more than 60 Associates participated in the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Chicago in May.

For the fifth time, Shure was named one of “Chicago’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies To Work For” by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR).

New Axient wireless microphones were widely used by a galaxy of headline stars at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies during the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Shure launched its line of Centraverse™ Installed Sound Microphones, an economical complement to its existing Microflex® series for the sound contracting market.

Winning for the second consecutive year, Shure has been awarded the distinction of being named one of the country’s 2012 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™ by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR).

The S.N. Shure Theater in the Corporate Headquarters was presented the Interior Architecture Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects.

Associates in the Netherlands moved to a new office in Culemborg in October.

For the third consecutive year, all of the artists and bands who performed using in-ear monitors during the GRAMMY® Awards used the Shure PSM®1000 Personal Monitor System—From Imagine Dragons to Lorde to John Legend to Paul McCartney.

2014 marks the 75th Anniversary of the market launch of the legendary Unidyne Microphone, effectively kicking off 2014 as “The Year of the Unidyne.”

The Model 55 Unidyne Microphone received the IEEE Milestone Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

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